Systems and methods for monitoring a subject in a premise

Abstract

A system is described herein that comprises a communications device periodically transmitting a radio frequency signal, wherein the periodically transmitted signal includes data. The system includes a receiver detecting the periodically transmitted signal, the detecting including measuring strength of the periodically transmitted signal, the detecting including using the signal strength to provide a first estimate of the receiver's distance from the communications device. The system includes the communications device comprising at least one location sensor for determining an additional distance indication, wherein the data includes the additional distance indication. The system includes the receiver performing a function when the first estimate meets at least one criterion and when the additional distance indication indicates a first state.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a beacon, a collar device, and an application executable on a processor of a mobile computing device that is separate from the beacon and the collar, wherein the beacon, the collar device and the application are configured to communicate through wireless communications, wherein the beacon is positionable at a location in an environment; 
 wherein the beacon is configured to periodically transmit a unique identifying number corresponding to and identifying the beacon, the application being configured to detect the unique identifying number of the beacon; 
 wherein the application is configured to: 
 detect the unique identifying number of the beacon in a discovery mode when the mobile computing device is within a transmission range of the beacon; 
 receive configuration information of the beacon in a user interface of the mobile computing device, the configuration information including a first corresponding distance value selected from among a plurality of distance values and a first corresponding function of a plurality of functions; 
 organize linking information, the organizing linking information comprising linking the unique identifying number of the beacon with the first corresponding distance value and the first corresponding function; 
 transmit the linking information from the mobile computing device to the collar device, and 
 wherein the collar device stores the linking information on the collar device and is configured to: 
 detect a transmission of the beacon including the unique identifying number; 
 use information of the detected transmission of the beacon to identify the unique identifying number of the beacon and to determine an estimated distance from the collar device to a location of the beacon, the estimated distance being based at least in part on a signal strength of the detected transmission of the beacon; 
 use the linking information to identify the first corresponding function and the first corresponding distance value stored on the collar device based on the unique identifying number; and 
 based on the estimated distance meeting at least one criterion with respect to the first corresponding distance value, perform the first corresponding function. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second beacon that is configured to transmit a second unique identifying number corresponding to identifying the second beacon. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the linking information includes linking of the second unique identifying number with a second corresponding distance value and a second corresponding function. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the application is configured to organize the linking information including the linking of the second unique identifying number with the second corresponding distance value and the second corresponding function. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the beacon is configured to periodically transmit the unique identifying number detected by the collar device via a Bluetooth communication interface. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the collar device is configured to store the linking information in a database within a memory of the collar device. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one criterion includes the estimated distance being less than the first corresponding distance value. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second collar device separate from the collar device,
 wherein the application is further configured to organize second linking information, wherein the organizing second linking information includes linking the unique identifying number of the beacon with a second corresponding distance value of a plurality of distance values and a second corresponding function of a plurality of functions, the second corresponding function being different from the first corresponding function, and wherein the application is configured to transmit the second linking information to the second collar device, and wherein the second collar device stores the second linking information on the second collar device. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second collar device is configured to detect a transmission of the beacon and use information of the detected transmission to identify the unique identifying number of the beacon and to determine a second estimated distance from the second collar device to the location of the beacon,
 wherein the second collar device is further configured to use the second linking information to identify the second corresponding function and the second corresponding distance value stored on the second collar device, and the second collar device is further configured to perform the second corresponding function when the second estimated distance meets at least one criterion with respect to the second corresponding distance value. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein performing the first corresponding function includes logging one or more of a time, an occurrence, or a duration of the performed first corresponding function. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the collar device, the beacon, and the mobile computing device are communicatively coupled with a cloud computing platform comprising one or more applications running on at least one processor of a remote server. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the collar device is configured to use the linking information to identify the first corresponding function and the first corresponding distance value stored on the collar device without transmitting data to the beacon. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the application is configured to organize second linking information corresponding to a second collar, the second linking information including linking the unique identifying number of the beacon with a second corresponding distance value of the plurality of distance values and a second corresponding function of a plurality of functions, wherein the second corresponding function is different from the first corresponding function. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 at a mobile device separated from a beacon and a collar device: 
 in a discovery mode when the mobile device is within a transmission range of the beacon, detecting a unique identifying number periodically wirelessly transmitted by the beacon; the unique identifying number identifying the beacon; 
 receiving configuration information of the beacon at a user interface on the mobile device provided within a mobile application, the configuration information including a first corresponding distance value selected from among a plurality of distance values and a first function of a plurality of functions; 
 organizing, by the mobile application of the mobile device, linking information, the organizing linking information comprising linking the unique identifying number of the beacon with the first corresponding distance value and the first function; and 
 transmitting the linking information from the mobile device to the collar device; 
 at the collar device communicatively connectable to the mobile device; 
 storing the linking information at the collar device; 
 detecting, at the collar device, a transmission of the beacon, the transmission including the unique identifying number of the beacon; 
 using information of the detected transmission of the beacon at the collar device to identify the unique identifying number of the beacon and to estimate a distance from the collar device to a location of the beacon; 
 using the linking information at the collar device to identify the first function and the first corresponding distance value from the collar device to the beacon based on the unique identifying number; and 
 based on the estimated distance meeting at least one criterion with respect to the first corresponding distance value, performing the first function. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detecting, at the collar device, a transmission of a second beacon, the transmission of the second beacon including a second unique identifying number of the second beacon. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising using the linking information at the collar device to identify a second function and a second distance value corresponding to a second beacon. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising performing a second function at the collar device when an estimated distance from the collar device to the second beacon meets at least one criterion with respect to the second distance value. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first function associated with the beacon is selected from between a tracking function and an avoidance function. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , wherein transmitting the linking information to the collar device includes wirelessly transmitting the linking information via a Bluetooth communication interface, and wherein detecting the transmission of the beacon at the collar device includes detecting a beacon signal received via a wireless communications protocol comprising a Bluetooth low energy communications protocol.